Am I My Brother's Keeper?

“Where is Abel thy brother?”  And Cain said, “I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?”  (Genesis 4:9)

The background of this great Bible question was the murder of  Abel  by his brother Cain.  God knows that  Cain murdered Abel.   God gave Cain a chance to confess his crime.  But Cain did not tell the truth.

Cain said “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  There are many things we can learn from Cain and Abel.

1.     We also tell lies to God and we do not keep our brothers.

2.    Cain was jealous with Abel because God favoured Abel.  We are sometimes full of envy and jealousy when favors are not given to us by our friends.

3.   God favoured Abel because Abel’s offering to God is with humility and true faith. Cain’s offering to God was given in pride. “God opposes the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  (James 4:6).    We give God not the best but the left-overs! We do not work hard and honestly.

4.     God gave the best for us His only son Jesus but we gave God the second class. Abel’s offering was the spotless Lamb.  We offer God worn-out or torn clothes like rags.

Are we our brothers’ keepers? Are you and I responsible to the needs of  other people? Is it our job to feed the hungry? Do we owe anything to the orphans? And the widows?  Is it our job to minister the sick? If Christians engage in sin, is it our job to speak to them?  Are we responsible for helping them to guide them away from the sin and back to righteous living?

The answer is Yes!   As Christians we are indeed our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers!  “Visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction .” (James 1:27)  Our faith is dead if we give nothing to our brothers. (James 2:15-17).  “Let us love in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18).   Whenever we come across a person in need, we must realise this is a Divine Appointment.  God  is calling us to join Him. “We must love and defend the fatherless and widow, loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”  (Deuteronomy 10:18).

“Loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free,  give bread to the poor and hungry, the strange shelter, the naked thou cover him.”  (Isaiah 58:6-7).

Ask yourself:  What do I need to give God?  Is God calling me to join a church group where I can offer Him my time and talents to be used in ministry to the hurting and lost people of this world?  Does my attitude towards all the needy people around me,  my neighbours and co-workers, even beggars who I avoid in the street, need to change?   The way we should live is by “keeping our brothers” selflessly loving and caring for others.

(From Dr. Derek Stringer’s Great Bible Questions)